


They Have Made Me

by Styx_in_the_mud



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Books, Gen, Reading can change your life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-03 22:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Styx_in_the_mud/pseuds/Styx_in_the_mud
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson</p><p>They say reading can change your life.<br/>This is the story of the citizens of Camelot and the books that made them who they are.</p><p>Modern AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli: The Growth of Uther Pendragon

**Author's Note:**

> Not Beta'd or britpicked, enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uther Pendragon wasn't always this way.

 

                        If you asked anyone in Great Brittan, they would not hesitate to say that Uther Pendragon was born the ruthless business man he is today. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. If they had known Uther 40 years ago, they would fail to recognize him.

            Uther, as a child, was a scrawny, shy creature with a head of messy brown hair, and glasses slightly too big for his face. His somewhat geeky appearance and shy behavior made him a prime target for bullies. Books were his only solace. Playground politics made life difficult for young Uther, and as a result, he spent most of his time hiding in a dark alcove of the local library. He read everything he could get his hands on, and his knowledge and vocabulary exceeded that of the average 10 year old. This only served to further alienate himself from his classmates, who preferred to play football or catch frogs in the local park. Children are suspicious of those who are a little different from themselves, and Uther was often mocked and taunted. It was after one particularly cruel session of taunting that Uther came across the book that changed his life. In his book The Prince, Machiavelli conveyed the essence of a true leader. Uther read it within a day, staying up late at night with a torch under his blankets, silently mouthing the words on the page. _“It is better to be feared than loved”_.  From that day on Uther Pendragon resolved to change.

            Years went by, and Uther never forgot the lessons Machiavelli taught him. He started his own business, if you could call it that, at the tender age of thirteen. It wasn’t much. His clients paid a small fee, and in return, Uther would do their homework for them. It was a highly lucrative business, and, for the first time in his life, Uther could afford to throw his money around. _“…either the prince is spending his own money and that of his subjects, or he is spending someone else’s. In the first case, he ought to be sparing; in the second case, he ought to spend money like water.”_ Uther’s tormentors became dependant on his services, and the feeling of power was exhilarating.

            By the age of 24, Uther had established his first legitimate business. Though it was still young, Pendragon Publishing was quickly gaining popularity. While Uther had become hardened over time, there was still a small part of him that clung to the sweet, shy boy he used to be. That is, until he found out that one of his new employees was stealing from the company. It wasn’t much, only about a hundred pounds or so. It was an insignificant amount compared to the total monthly income. But stealing is stealing, and he needed to set an example. The man was fired on the spot, and blacklisted from every major publishing company in England. _“To be feared is much safer than to be loved”_ It was then that the last little bit of the old Uther Pendragon died. 

            From that point on, Uther became ruthless. He ran his company with military precision. He became an expert at manipulating the minds of the people around him: his employees, the board of directors, his family and friends. He would stand in front of the board, and tell a bald faced lie, if helped the company in the long-run. “We want encourage cooperation with other companies” he would say, even as he brought said company to its knees.  _“You must be a great liar and a hypocrite”_ This was the Uther Pendragon we all know today.

            If you asked anyone in Great Brittan, they would not hesitate to say that Uther Pendragon was born a ruthless business man. But without The Prince, Uther would never have been the man he is today.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter after reading an excerpt from Machiavelli's The Prince. Basically, the message he was trying to get across is that no one can be the ideal leader and still be successful, and often times it is the faults of a leader which keeps him in power. It's actually a fantastic book, check it out if you have the chance. Let me know what you think.


	2. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: How Arthur Became an Adult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur's first job is to take care of his mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Comments would be greatly appreciated!

            Arthur was seven years, three months, and two days old when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. His father, who was always distant, became even more withdrawn from his family, throwing himself into his work. It was Arthur who went to the appointments with Ygraine. It was Arthur who stayed with her through the pain of chemo. It was Arthur’s job, no his duty, to comfort her when she was hurt. It was a lot of responsibility for a little boy, yet he cherished those years the most, because it was during this time that he met the little prince.

            Arthur was eight years, five months, and four days old when Ygraine’s illness took a turn for the worse. She was given a permanent room in the hospital. She didn’t have much energy, couldn’t do much more than eat, sleep, and read. Arthur would go to the hospital right after school, and the chauffer would pick him up after visiting hours. Uther never came home anymore. It was just Arthur in the big house, all alone. It was when he was hunting through his father’s study that he came across a slim book, tucked away behind Uther’s serious, leather-bound volumes. The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. He took the book wit him to the hospital the next day. “Look what I found mum!” (it was always “mum” never “mother”). Ygraine smiled as she opened the slim volume and read the first page. _“_ _Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal.”_ Her voice, though soft, was still strong.

            Arthur was nine years, two months, and five days old when his mother could no longer read to him, or to herself for that matter. She spent more time than ever just lying in her bed with her eyes closed. It pained Arthur to see his mother so weak. His father was little more than a name to him, and he often wouldn’t see him for days at a time. Arthur was responsible for his mum. One day, when he entered her room, he pulled a familiar, slim novel from the depths of his school bag. “I’ll read to you today mum”. Her eyes still closed Ygraine smiled. _“_ _One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. . . . It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important. . . . People have forgotten this truth,” the fox said, “But you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose_.  _”_ Arthur loved his mum. Arthur was responsible for his mum.

            Arthur was ten years and two days old when his mother passed away. Staring straight ahead in his black tailored suit, he didn’t speak, and he didn’t cry. He didn’t cry until every last mourner had left the grave. “You’re so brave” they said. “Precious child” the women would coo, before they went to comfort his father. But Arthur wasn’t a child, not anymore. Not these people anyway. And definitely not to his father. He looked up into the sky, and thought, “Is mum happy up there? Is she watching me?” and that made all the difference _“_ _Look up at the sky. Ask yourself, “Has the sheep eaten the flower or not?” And you’ll see how everything changes. . . . And no grown-up will ever understand how such a thing could be so important!”_ It was at that moment that Arthur Pendragon became an adult.

            And years later, when he had gotten a position at Pendragon Publishing, when he was heir to the company which took precedence over him in his father mind, when he faced trials in love and friendship, it was then that he would remember his mother reading, in a voice that was both soft and strong, and he would be happy. _“If some one loves a flower of which just one example exists among all the millions and millions of stars, that’s enough to make him happy when he looks at the stars.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have always loved the Little Prince. It's a beautiful story, a little like Peter-Pan (without the fairies and Mermaids), and it portrays the rift between childhood and adulthood. It's a fantastic classic, and I hope I did it justice. Once again, reviews are appreiciated


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